There is a realm of time where the goal is
not to have but to be,
not to own but to give,
not to control but to share,
not to subdue but to be in accord.
Life goes wrong when the control of space,
the acquisition of the things of space,
becomes our sole concern.
There is happiness in the love of labor,
there is misery in the love of gain.
— Abraham Heschel, “The Sabbath”
Call to Worship
Adapted from Psalm 62
God, for You alone do we wait in quietness.
You are our Rock and our salvation.
Fill us with hope that can never be shaken.
We pour our our hearts before You,
trusting in Your steadfast love.
Amen.
Worship Song
Joy, by Rend Collective
Passing of the Peace
Send a text of joy & love to someone from our Anchor & Hope community or someone else who could use some encouragement (Your pastors would love to hear from you, so please feel free to drop them a text as well!).
Prayer of Illumination
Light of the world,
shine through our darkness, bringing us hope.
Open our hearts to friendship with You and others,
our eyes to see all the places You’re at work,
and our souls to wonder & joy.
Fill our mouths with laughter and speech with shouts of joy,
reflecting and sharing Your love to the world around us.
Amen.
Kids Song & Reflection
Fruit of the Spirit
Introduce the video to your children by asking, “When was the last time you felt really really happy?” After hearing their answers, you can talk about how God wants us to have joy. We can have joy and hope because the Holy Spirit gives us joy. Let’s learn about when the Holy Spirit came in the Bible, in the book of Acts:
Reflect with your children:
- What made the people in the video joyful?
- What are ways that you can be joyful this week?
Scripture Engagement & Reflection
Read 1 Chronicles 16:31-36 (NLT) out loud, even if you’re alone!
Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice!
Tell all the nations, “The Lord reigns!”
Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!
Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy!
Let the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord,
for he is coming to judge the earth.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
Cry out, “Save us, O God of our salvation!
Gather and rescue us from among the nations,
so we can thank your holy name
and rejoice and praise you.”
Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
who lives from everlasting to everlasting!
And all the people shouted “Amen!” and praised the Lord.
Some of us grew up in church cultures that taught us to fear Halloween. Of course, we certainly don’t want to celebrate anything harmful or dangerous, but I think that closed mindset misses out on real opportunities for joy, connection, and genuine witness in the world during this time.
If we get past the “spooky” stuff (and there are actually some pretty thoughtful Christian reflections on how we should not ignore dark or difficult things), what are the things that people love about Halloween? If you’re with others during this time, maybe you can take a couple of minutes to share.
From my experience, here are a couple of things that immediately jump out to me:
- Fun: Candy, parties, costume parades
- Creativity: Wearing and seeing different costumes, homes and neighborhoods being decorated
- Self-expression: Deciding what costume to wear, making it your own
- Connection: There can even be fun in planning something that will bring joy to others, going around in groups
As followers of Christ, we don’t want to miss out on the importance of shared joy. Halloween gives us the rare opportunity to connect with neighbors, friends, and even strangers around a shared experience of fun and joy. As we explore the genuine rest God offers to us in the gift of Sabbath, one of the most important foundations is joy.
Abraham Heschel, a rabbi and author, has helped countless people engage Sabbath in a deeper way. Here are a couple of his thoughts around the meaning of Sabbath:
- Sabbath is joy, holiness, and rest
- Sabbath is when we care for the seed of eternity planted in the soul
- Sabbath is creating a home in the soul to be with the divine
- Sabbath is a day to remember our belovedness
- Sabbath is a chance to mend our tattered lives
As you wrap up this time, reflect on the following questions around practices of joy — if you’re with someone else, you can share out loud or you can just think about these on your own:
- What is a simple thing that brings you joy? Not because it’s productive or “useful” but simply because it makes you happy?
- Are you struggling to name something? Why or why not?
- What barriers (internally or externally) are preventing you from seeking joy?
- How does joy help us recover our sense of “being” over “doing”?
Worship Song
Radical Love (The Joy Song) • by Stockholm Worship
Closing Prayer
God of all joy,
renew us in Your love
and fill us to overflowing
so that our neighbors may know
they are loved as well.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Announcements
- Men’s Football Night: Chris has generously offered to open up his home tomorrow (Monday, October 30th) at 5:15 pm for a night of friendship and prayer!
- Women’s Bible Study: Sue will host the final gathering at her place this Friday, November 3rd at 6:00 pm.
- Next Sunday, November 5th, we will gather for worship at our usual time and location (10:30 am at Sandburg Elementary)
- Church Without Walls: On Sunday, November 12th, we will gather as a group off-site for our next Church Without Walls. Details to come!
- Thanksgiving Sunday: We will celebrate Thanksgiving together on Sunday, November 19th during our regular worship service time through a time of Togetherness.
- Partnership Sunday with Solana Beach Pres: On Sunday, December 3rd, we will gather at Solana Beach Presbyterian as part of our mission partnership with them. There will be special music that day and an “Alternative Christmas Market” where we can meet folks and partners from SBPC.
Anchor & Hope Church 